Zero-branes and the symplectic hypermultiplets

Abstract

We study the scalar fields of the five-dimensional N=2 hypermultiplets using the method of symplectic covariance developed in previous work. For static spherically symmetric backgrounds, we show that exactly two possibilities exist. One of them is a Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfeld (BPS) zero-brane carrying charge under the hypermultiplets. We find an explicitly symplectic solution of the fields in this background and derive the conditions required for a full spacetime understanding.